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The first of the Furies, and the first of the Matchbox kits, if by no means first in this GB - Matchboxs Hawker Fury. My entry here is an earlyish boxing of the kit (1975 according to Scalemates) I've built the kit before, a long time back, and can not recall any problems. Looking at the plastic now, all I can comment on now is a coulple of ejector pins on the underside of thw top wing, and some sink in the undercarriage legs. Nothing that can't be sorted out... Depending on mood, I may try to do something about the cockpit - the seat is an unbelievable bench, there is no joystick, nor instruments. Matchbox suggest this whole area is painted black, which would hide a wealth of sins (this is a 1972/3 kit, released before Tamigawa began to up the game). After market stuff - I have Model Alliance's Wings of Silver Part 1 decal set. That contains one Fury I (RAF Cranwell), and two Fury IIs (25 and 41 Squadrons), and a Yahu instrument panel. The Matchbox transfers (decals) look as if they have survived well, so I may stay with their 43 Squadron offering. Even with camera shake, the Yahi IP looks stunning: If I 'improve' the 'pit, that will go in.

Hopefully my first of many entries into this group build, it's the good old Stuka kit. First of all the artwork featuring a diving Panzerknacker. And now the parts. Briefly. The Stuka is one of the Matchbox kits that until now I have never built, I remember the artwork well and always fancied it so looking forward to this. The parts look pretty good so at the moment I'm thinking that I will just follow my usual Matchbox kit building procedure. I will be building the revell kit alongside it to help as a guide to improvements, depending on which version I build the Revell kit may provide a few spare parts to the Matchbox build. The Matchbox build will have to be the canon armed JU87 G, the Revell build probably a winter camouflaged JU 87D, in which case the Revell guns and decals will most probably find themselves on the Matchbox build.

Hi. As some of you will be aware, my modelling Mojo has taken a bit of a hit recently on medical grounds, but I am pleased to say that the docs have finally decided why I am short of breath and it turns out to be down to a viral infection rather than something far more worrying, so I should be able to make somewhat more rapid progress from now on . As I am in the middle of a batch of USN jets - F-8, F-11F and F-14 - I have the appropriate paints out so I thought I would have a go at this to start with. Should be a fairly simple build before I start on my A-7D, and will be OOB except for the payload and perhaps the cockpit. It will be the third A-4 I have built, following the original Airfix kit and the later Hasegawa one, and I expect it will fall somewhere between the two previous ones in terms of detail/accuracy, though having said that the review in D&S rated this kit as the worst model of the A-4 available at the time it was published in 1989! Cheers Pete

This is the only original style Matchbox boxing in my stash so its a major decision to give it a go. A 1979 tooling it has the deep panel lines associated with the earlier tranche of kits. Molded on 3 sprues in light grey, greeney grey and white. The plastic is heavy and shiny. There are 4 identical crewmen supplied and the cockpit tub is molded in two pieces with seats as part of the mold. Wings can be attached in folded or operating positions. Clear parts are quite thick but in good nick. I wont try to enhance them with a dip in Clear type fluids. The decals are what you would expect in a kit that is between 25 and 40 years old. I'm currently in slightly warmer climes than home so I might get a chance to sun bleach them, it isn't currently warm enough however to work outside too much, so my airbrushing opportunities will be limited I have generally struggled with a full white underside on larger kits so this is a risk for me.

A pair of recent completions. First, the Matchbox 1/72 Mystere IVA, done for the Matchbox Anniversary GB over at UAMF: A rather crude kit, lacking detail and subtlety, but once you've filled in all the trenches, it doesn't look too bad. Finished with the late, lamented Testors Metalizer Aluminium. Secondly, the ESCI 1/72 F-5B. This is a definite step up in quality despite being nearly the same vintage. Also finished with Testors Metalizer Aluminium.

So way back in 1973 when i was but 10 years old, this kit was the best Spitfire kit i was aware of, miles more accurate (as far as i knew) than the Airfix one, which had been around for ages at that time. The Matchbox Spit was soooooo good to me. So its no wonder i have returned to this particular kit for the GB. I have rustled up some reference material (the only references young Greg had) in the shape of the Commando comic "Send for Spitfires", which was first published in the same month and year i was born (1963)! TFL Cheers Greg

My third entry is another Helldiver, this time the Curtiss SB2C-1. Introduced into service in 1942, only 4 years after the introduction of the SBC-4 biplane Helldiver. Thought it would be interesting to build them side by side to show the speed of aircraft development.

Amazon have just delivered this, the Revell reboxing of Matchbox’s Panzer II. This will be my 4th entry. I built the Tamiya 1/35 version a while back for another group build, looking forward to adding this one to the collection.

Not as colourful as some on the page with 3 colours, green, sky blue and mustard making up the sprues. I was looking for a Helldiver but couldn’t find on at Middle Wallop, out the corner of my eye I spy’d this kit. It’s one I had made before and will make a nice comparison to the vintage Airfix kit I built a few years ago.

I have just finished this UV-18B.This is the old matchbox twin otter.Wasnt so bad to build.I managed to do it pretty quickly.I used tamiya and gunze acrylics on this one.The decals are from caracal decals.

Hi guys, Here is the box and content of my build here. It is the 1/72 Matchbox A-7D Corsair II . It will be build almost straight out of the box. The only extra's I will use is a different decal sheet and a bomb set from Hasegawa. Here is the Box and the content. And the weapon set from Hasegawa. I will start this build soon. That is it for now Cheers,

On 24 September 1944 LP826, a Wellington X of 85 Operational Training Unit, was lost when it crashed on the Althorp Estate of the Spencer family after the pilot had lost control of the aircraft. During a night exercise, the Wellington from Husbands Bosworth dived into ground from a considerable altitude on the outskirts of the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire with the tragic loss of all seven crew members. HARPER, Charles - Sgt(A/G) - 1829682 - RAFVR - Kirkconnel Cemetery, Dumfriesshire. SAUNDERS, Frederick Charles - Sgt (Radio Op-Air) - 1852883 - RAFVR - Clevedon Cemetery, Somerset. COLEMAN, Sydney Francis - Sgt (Air Bomber) - 1339954 - RAFVR - Frome (Holy Trinity) Churchyard, Sommerset. JONES, Thomas William - Sgt(A/G) - 3031716 - RAFVR - Cardiff (Cathays) Cemetery, Glamorganshire. His death was at the age of just 19. WILTON, Alan Henry - Sgt(Pilot) - 1587833 - RAFVR - Bristol (Canford) Cemetery, Gloucestershire. I do not know the names of the other two who were lost. No 85 Operational Training Unit was stationed at Husbands Bosworth from 15 June 1944 to 14 June 1945. Squadron codes for 85 OTU were 9P and 2X for this period. This is the Revell re-box of the Matchbox kit. I used Vallejo, Hataka and Humbrol acrylics.

Hi mates, I'm about to start painting my current project, so that means it's time to think about a new project! Some of you may remember that I ginned up an old (like in 1965) Revell PB4Y-1 Liberator with all sorts of resin, photoetch, scratch-built stuff, sheets of card stock, and some great aftermarket stickers in an attempt to make people think it was actually the Hasegawa kit. Not sure that I succeeded in that endeavour, but it sure was fun. Here was the result for reference: So why not make a model of its offspring? The PB4Y-2 was quite a bit different, especially around the engines, nacelles, and waist turrets, with a single vertical tail reminiscent of the B-32 Dominator. I believe the fuselage was also longer. The only 1:72 kit that I'm aware of is the venerable Matchbox kit that first appeared in 1980. It's one of the better efforts from Matchbox and lucky for me, Revell re-released it in 2009. Why lucky? Because it's not moulded in three different colours! Just nice plain old boring grey. I picked up this kit for a mere $10 from a vendor table at an airshow several years back. Let's have a look. starting with the Gawd-awful, end opening, designed to never stay closed, collapse upon sight Revell box: Nice artwork. The styrene parts have both recessed panel lines (for major control surfaces) and very fine raised lines for everything else. I haven't decided whether this will need to be re-scribed; it may look fine just the way it is. First, the fuselage and tail: Next, the wingy thingies and other assorted bits. The engines, nacelles, cowling, waist turret panels, landing gear, and other goodies: Finally, the clear parts and there be a lot of them! The kit has the typical instruction booklet that Revell produced at the time. The decal sheet has options for VPB-106 of the US Navy on Tinian during 1945, a RCAF Liberator C.Mk.IX (RY-3) from 168 Squadron, and a French PB4Y-2S of the Aéronavale during their adventures in Indochina. It probably builds into a nice replica right from the box. But what fun would that be? Anybody can build out of the box, right? Besides, we got another box! This one here: Resin! Be still my heart! Take off your mask and put on your respirator! (I wonder if you can kill coronavirus with resin dust?) This little box of goodies is chock full of nicely cast detail parts in addition to bits that "correct" the kit. I have no knowledge (at present) of what might be wrong with the kit, but whatever. Let's see what's in Pandora's Box! Er, Privateer's Box! First, some cockpit stuff. This will be a big help in tartin' up the pit - the kit is woefully inadequate here. I think I can combine this with some Eduard B-24 Liberator photoetch that I have. Next, new engines, nacelles, and cowlings. I've read that this is one area where the kit needs correction. New propellers and tyres - the props have better shaped blades than those in the kit, and the tyres are much more detailed: And some very nicely detailed replacement parts for the waist, nose, and top turrets. Lastly, Cobra included several vacuform clear parts, and one clear resin part. Not sure why that one part (I think it's the lower bomb aimer's window) was done in resin, but there it is. Holy Frijole! I think there are more resin parts than there are styrene. Needless to say this will be a bit of a big project, so don't expect anything to happen quickly. But I will start working on this one while I'm finishing up the Hornet. When the Privateer is finished, she should look real nice sitting next to the PB4Y-1, who is a bit lonely all by herself in the Bomber wing of my display case. Cobra, who produced this resin set, is no longer in business but its tooling was acquired by Lone Star Models and this set is scheduled to be released again in 2021. Just in case one of you crazy people out there want to give it a go. That's it for now. Stay tuned and stay safe! 😷 Cheers, Bill

A-7D Corsair II, 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron Green Demons, 354th TFW, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 1972 Kit: Matchbox Corsair II A-7D (#40101) Scale: 1/72 Paints: Vallejo Model Air Weathering: Flory Models Dark Dirt wash Simple hassle free build, built straight from the box without adding, altering or removing anything. Painted using Vallejo Model Air acrylics. Decals were old and colours were fuzzy but settled down suprisingly well. The kit has toy-like qualities but that was part of the charm - realistic details and finesse are for other builds. Thanks for looking!

I really like the austere look of the 1980s-vintage Hawker HS-125 CC.3 in RAF service, painted gloss white overall and a roundel blue cheat line, similar to that shown on the Matchbox cover-art of the CC.2. To do justice to the type requires kit-bashing using two different generations of kit: the 1974-vintage Matchbox of the -600, and last year's Sword model of the -800. Sword's kit offers many details that can be cobbled onto the -600 to turn it into a -700 jet, such as the engines, underwing details, and possibly the landing gear. As others on this board have pointed out, the Matchbox kit isn't bad, but it does have a few problems. I wanted to do a partial interior and pose the finished product with the door posed open invitingly for little VIPs. No crew figures on this one, however.

Italy, May 1944. The Gustav Line is finally broken at Cassino. During the pursuit of retreating German forces a Humber armoured car crew from 46th Reconnaissance Regiment find the road blocked once again. The officer dismounts to check his map for an alternative route. His wireless operator looks down nervously, worried about mines and snipers... This is of course Matchbox's venerable Humber Mk II, now available from Revell. A big problem with the kit in its current form are the decals. These give you a vehicle from 4th Recce Regt captured by the Germans (which should actually be a Mk IV) and one from an 'unknown' armoured car regiment in 'Lybia', which seems to have been based on a photo of a UK vehicle, possibly from the Royal Canadian Dragoons! It would have been nice to have had some accurate North African markings, as in the original kit. In their absence, and because the base doesn't look that desert-like to me, I opted for an Italian scene and painted it Light Mud with blue-black disruptive camo. I didn't have any suitable decals so the story will have to be that this is a newish or repainted vehicle and they didn't have time to add them. 🙂 Lastly, I've always felt that the figure supplied by Matchbox was rather over-scale, so I added a couple of Milicast resin figures which I think better convey the size of the vehicle. All in all, a fun build as ever and one which only took about a week to do. Best wishes, Ian

Please can you advise what the correct colour schemes are for decals that come with Matchbox's Fw-190 A3/A4? I doubt very much that they had uniform green topsides which is what the box painting scheme advises. The aircraft are claimed to be III Group JG 51 (red 10+1) and SG 1 (red H). These relate to the original boxing before Matchbox revised the weapon parts. Thanks

I built this a few years ago. When I got it out of its storage box today I found it was damaged so as I did the repairs I touched up some painted areas and then took new better photos of it The colour is supposed to be a 'burnt orange' . The colour and registration of an Aston Martin that was once owned by one of my motor-club members I added a bit of detail in the engine bay Headlamps and tail-lights were from 'Little-cars'

I'll join in with this from the stash. I bought it long time ago and I don't know where or when. I've made one a few years back and it goes together quite well. The price is tucked round the side and I was surprised it was so cheap. Not quite the 2/- Airfix Spitfire of 1960.

Hi, The Stranraer (original Matchbox production) was a kit waiting for many years in my stash. It is about 30 years now. The main reason was the complicate riging and some conversion needed to do as the kit is reproducing some post war changes. I decided to do her in RCAF livery (and machine of Canadian build), and I am very grateful to all BM fellows who took part in a topic providing many useful information on those differences. First of all I thanks Chris ( @dogsbody ). This thread is here: So, the list of modificarions are: 1. removing of carago doors on right side and add additional window 2. cut out the place for cockpit window to move back on right side 3. 4 blades props 4. The a bit reshaped cowlings 5. Fairing of the rear gunner position 6. Browning MGs, and doubled in mid upper site. 7. DF loop control rod between wings 8. Bombs bays for 20 lb bombs and bombs racks under the wings More corrections are landing and positioning lights, pitot tube, some rivets on surface (very delicate, almost invisible, unfortunately) and bombs (20 lb stolen from Airfix Swordfish, bomb chargies scratch bulid) and driving mechanism of ailerons on the bottom side of wings. I done riging by EZ. The scheme presents machine from 117 Squadron (BR) RCAF. The story of this particular machine is described here http://www.rwrwalker.ca/RCAF_901_950_detailed.htm as "With No. 117 (BR) Squadron, RCAF Stations Sydney, Dartmouth, Bella Bella, BC, and Jericho Beach, BC August 1941 to March 1944, in camouflage, last date: 8 March 1944 - Struck off". Here she is: An undersides (sorry for wide angle distortion) Comments welcome Regards J-W

Sherman M4A1 (03290) 1:72 Revell The M4 Sherman was developed in the early part of WWII as an answer to the Panzer III and IV, again which it faired very well, outclassing them in armour and armament. It was designed from outset to be fast, reliable and easy to repair, which were key in its continued survival to the end of WWII and beyond, causing the effective leap-frogging of the M26 Pershing directly to the next generation of Main Battle Tanks. Sharing much in the way of mechanicals with the earlier M3 Lee, the Sherman was powered by a Continental radial engine that was mounted in the rear and powered by gasoline/petrol. It had a fully cast hull and turret (initially) and sported a 75mm gun, which was soon uprated in later sub-variants to a 76mm M1 gun with higher muzzle velocity and a re-structured magazine that contained more armour-piercing shells for killing other tanks. Production of the M4A1 began in 1942 and ended May 1944, with their first in battle at El Alamein in late 1942 with the British 8th Army, but was used extensively by the US, Poland, China, and by the French in smaller numbers. Over 6,000 were made before production was switched to the M4A1(76)W with the T-23 turret and wet stowage hull. The Kit This is a reboxing of the venerable Matchbox kit, and as a lot of folks really like that, it’s no bad thing. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of one of the decal options on the front, and a few shots of a completed model in the same captured “Beutepanzer” scheme on the rear. Inside are three sprues in an olive drab styrene, a small decal sheet and the instruction booklet with colour profiles of the two decal options at the rear. It’s an ageing tooling, but it was well-detailed back in the day, and holds up pretty well considering its age with no visible mould-wear on this pressing. Construction begins with the lower hull, which has outer walls added along with the rear bulkhead in preparation for the suspension bogies that are made up from two wheels trapped between the front and back halves of the bogies, three per side and each side handed appropriately. The idler wheels and two-part drive sprockets are added on the ends of the track runs, then the rear bulkhead is outfitted with exhausts and air cleaners in pairs. The tracks are moulded as link-and-length in the same styrene as the rest of the kit, with long runs on the straight sections, short runs on the diagonals, and individual links on the highly curved sections at the ends. This will give the tracks the correct faceted look, and with some sympathetic painting to bring out the detail they should look great. The upper hull is a single moulding, with the cast glacis plate added to the front and the apron at the rear, then the details such as headlights, bow machine gun, travel lock and front hatches are glued in place, to be joined by the full-length side skirts later. The turret is made up of top and bottom halves, with a side hatch, commander’s cupola that can be left open or closed, and gunner’s hatch, which can be cut in half to pose open if you wish, joined finally by the glacis plate and the main gun barrel, which will benefit from having the muzzle drilled out if you feel the need. The turret locks into place on the hull with a bayonet attachment, and you can add a .30cal on a pintle-mount with ammo box in front of the less well-appointed hatch. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, one of which is a captured vehicle in olive drab, the other in US service with some camouflage applied. From the box you can build either one of the following: Sherman M4A1, unknown unit, German “booty” tank Sherman M4A1, Company D, 66th Armoured Regiment, 2rd Armoured Division, “Spearhead” Division, Operation Cobra, July 1944, Normandy Campaign Decals are by Zanetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a welcome re-release of the old Matchbox plastic, and it’s holding up very well for its age. The decal options are interesting and unusual too. Highly recommended, Currently, Revell are unable to ship to the UK from their online shop due to recent changes in import regulations, but there are many shops stocking their products where you can pick up the kits either in the flesh or online. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Think this qualifies - I have a few of these in my stash... And, at 95p, I think it qualifies ... That price tag reads Gamleys, which may mean I bought this in Bromley? Don't remember that shop, but I do remember a model shop in Holborn that was taken over by Beatties (was that a Gamleys before?).

Matchbox Hunting Provost 1/72 ( #PK-30) According to Scalemates a 1986 reboxing of a 1976 mould After a stressful week I needed a fast easy build and in the dark dank depths of the man cave I found this. Typical Matchbox of the time. 3 colour plastic, few parts, little detail and basic instructions. Decals give 2 options, one for the Omani AF and the one I chose from the Central Flying School. Paints are Humbrol Metal Cote Dull Aluminium #27001 covered with AquaGloss and Hu.193 for the leading edge Day Glo strip. Weathering was by differential applications of varnish and Tamiya weathering powders. Points of Interest. 1. Few panel lines but those that exist are raised and not the trenches Matchbox are (in)famous for. Fit was good tho quite a lot of sanding was needed at the nose. The cooling vents at the sides had their walls thinned to give a more scale appearance. 2. I couldn’t leave the bare cockpit so scratchbuilt an instrument panel, joy sticks, trim wheels and levers and fitted some spare Eduard harnesses over a scratchbuilt frame. I discovered too late the bench seat the kit provides is incorrect and there should be 2 separate seats. I added a whip aerial as well. I also thought there was a yellow roll bar in the cockpit but contemporary photos didn’t show it so I left it out. 3. The canopy is heavily framed so the interior is not easy to see but hand painting the frame was a lot easier. 4. Looking at contemporary photos other aerials and intakes are not present when the aircraft depicted by the kit decals was flying. 5. The wheels are in an uncompressed state as tho it were in flight. I didn’t change them as I decided the necessary mods were too hard to achieve convincingly. I should also have shortened their axles for a better fit. 6. Decals are from the kit and went on surprisingly well considering their age. Registration problems meant however I had to replace the fuselage side roundels with spares. I would have replaced the underwing roundels for the same reason but had no more of the right size and style. They took decal solvents with no problems. 7. There’s little AM but I understand Aircraft Design will be imminently releasing a decal sheet with a Provost on it. There are no masks either. The kit took just over 3 weeks from start to finish with no nasty surprises. (and within a week the new decal sheet was announced. Doh!)

Inspired by John's LRDG build, I thought I might have a go at this Revell 2007 reboxing of the Matchbox kit from around 1980. I bought it on a whim as it contained the only injection moulded 1/76 Daimler Dingo scout car I had ever seen - I was not really interested in the one off "caravan" but could convert the Leyland Retriever chassis into something else I thought, though it is still unbuilt in my stash. The normal British Army "command" vehicle was the Dorchester in the early part of the war - an armoured box body mounted on the chassis of the AEC Matador 4x4, and it seems to have been well liked, at least by Erwin Rommel who used 2 named Max and Moritz that the Africa Corps had captured. Later a larger 6x6 version entered service in Europe. THis particular vehicle is a hybrid. During the 8th Army's surprise advance across the border into Italian territory in Operation Compass in December 1940, the enemy forces were rapidly pushed back and as the campaign continued many Italians were captured. In February 1941 General Annibali Bergonzoli was taken at Breda Fomm - his splendid facial hair had earned him the knickname "barba elettrica" from his own troops and the Brits translated this as "electric whiskers". With him came his command vehicle or caravan, based on a Lancia 3RO chassis, but the Brits transplanted it on to a Leyland Retriever 6 x 4 chassis and it was initially used by General Ritchie. It was a combination office, map room and bedroom at first. Once Montgomery took charge of the 8th Army he inherited this vehicle and used it right through to the end of the war, though after the fall of Tunis in 1943 he aquired the "caravan" of General Giovanni Messi which was transplanted on to a Mack chassis and used as his sleeping quaters. Also, seven weeks before the D-Day landings a purpose built mobile maproom on a Fordson chassis joined his HQ, but this original vehicle remained his office right up to the surrender of Germany in 1945 and is now in the Imperial War Museum collection at Duxford I believe. The original Matchbox boxing showed it in European green camo, unlike the Revell one, and the "diorama base" with cobbled street and tramlines is more suitable for Germany in 1945, but it will have to do - there are decs for both schemes and the instructions say the desert one is as at late 1942, but perhaps it could have been in Tunis a little later? Cheers Pete

Hello all, I saw one of these built at a model show a few years back and thought how sweet it looked - it went into my mental stash... If you want modelling nostalgia and therapy at the bench - get one! 1974 moulding but you’d never guess, really crisp, fine detail and nice fit too. Takes me right back to a wet and windy afternoon in 1978 sat at the kitchen table covered in glue and Humbrol 😛 I haven’t really added anything, just a little brass for the machine guns, basic seatbelts and that’s about it. Although I did have to ditch the 70’s decals and as I couldn’t find any aftermarket options for the Siskin, I used paint masks based on the original decal sheet. I’ve already bought the Matchbox Hawker Fury and have an Airfix Bulldog to add to this mini inter war collection. I’ve even got my eye on their Seafox. Any other Matchbox gems that spring to mind? I seem to recall a Boeing ‘Peashooter’? Anyway, without further ado - here she is - 29 Sqn, North Weald, 1928. Thanks for looking, Guy 🙂 And alongside the old 50’s Airfix Hawker Demon, who said you need high tech kits and a ton of aftermarket to have fun modelling!